Objective To study the spread of fire in chemical industry parks a reliable simulation system is established to simulate the process of fire spread. The system can simulate and predict fire spread under different conditions and provide a scientific basis and effective means for fire prevention and control in chemical industry parks. At the same time the system can also be used for emergency response and drills of fire accidents to improve the ability and level of responding to fire accidents. Methods Fire spread simulation is conducted using cellular automata empirical spread probabilities and a combined model. Using the fire spread model combined with the theory of cellular automata the state transition rules are formulated based on the experience and data in the actual fire spreading process and the effects of various factors such as terrain wind speed slope and humidity on fire spreading are considered comprehensively. Results The system can simulate fire spread under different conditions including the influence of factors like the fire source location wind direction wind speed and temperature. Through multiple experiments crucial fire data the average burning rate has been obtained which has been compared with the burning rates observed in actual fires achieving an accuracy of 93%. Conclusion The simulation system presents the simulation results in three-dimensional form which is more direct and clear. The high accuracy of the experimental data can better assess the hazard of the fire accident and predict the fire development trend. The analysis of fire spread under different conditions can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for studying fire spread mechanisms and formulating fire prevention and control measures.